Septugenarian abbot takes off after murder

An elderly chief abbot is on the lam after allegedly killing his son-in-law on Monday in Battambang province’s Rokkiri district, police said yesterday.

Provincial deputy police chief Chhet Vanny said police were searching for Chhit Chhay, 73, and were unclear if he had left the province.

Sea Thy, district police chief, said Chhit Chhay assaulted his son-in-law Yeoun Chak, 39, with a wooden stick, and the victim had died after being sent to hospital.

“It was not a big argument between the suspect and victim … and the suspect did not have the intention to kill his son-in-law,” he said.

Sea Thy said the suspect had visited his daughter and asked for a cow that he had given his granddaughter.

When the daughter told him that she had sold it already, and that the money from the sale was already spent, he became angry, he added.

“The suspect was angry and he beat his daughter three times. His daughter called her husband and told him about the fight. The victim arrived home and argued with the suspect,” Sea Thy said, adding that the senior monk had then hit Yeoun Chak.